Unai Simón: The Quiet Hero Behind the Goal

Who Is This Guy?

Unai Simón is a 29-year-old man who plays a sport called soccer (many people call it football). Here are the simple facts:

• His job on the field is to be the goalkeeper (the player who stands in front of the net and tries to stop the ball from going in).
• He plays for a club team named Athletic Bilbao (a soccer team from a city called Bilbao in Spain).
• He is also on Spain’s national team for the World Cup (a giant tournament where countries send their best players to compete).
• People describe him as "elusive," which is a fancy way of saying he likes to stay hidden and keep to himself.

Shy With Strangers, Fun With Friends

Unai once talked to a newspaper called La Vanguardia. He shared:

• “I am shy around people I don’t feel comfortable with.”
• But if you ask his friends or folks from his hometown (a small place called Murguía), they’ll say he’s actually very chatty and open!
• With people he doesn’t know, he finds it hard to open up. He said, “I try not to stand out and prefer to stay on the sidelines.”

Important Point: Even famous players can feel nervous around new people. Unai is just like a regular person who needs time to warm up to others.

Why He Said "No" to Social Media

Unai keeps his private life very private. He doesn’t use any social media (like Instagram or Twitter) at all! Here is why:

• When he was starting his career (even when he played for the B team and first year with Athletic), he had social media like most kids.
• He would read what people wrote about him. If they said mean things, he felt terrible and thought he was bad. If they said nice things, he felt too great and thought he was perfect.
• That up-and-down of feelings was not good for him.
• So he made himself quit social media on purpose. And he did it! (He said this in an interview in 2024.)

Important Point: Reading comments online can hurt your feelings, even if you’re a grown-up athlete. Unai chose his peace of mind over likes and follows.

His Mom, Dad, and How He Grew Up

Unai’s family has jobs that help keep people safe:

• His father works for Spain’s Civil Guard (think of it like a national police force).
• His mother is an officer with the Basque Police (police in his local Basque area of Spain).

But Unai says their jobs didn’t make him who he is. In his own words:

• “My education and way of being has never been linked to my parents’ profession.”
• They raised him like any other kid in town whose parents had different jobs.
• They didn’t push him to become police; they taught him good values (the same kind he later learned at his soccer club).
• He says his parents are the most important people in making him who he is, and he is proud of them.

He also added:

• “I don’t like to talk much about my personal life.”
• When people find out about his parents’ jobs, it can be misunderstood, which makes him uncomfortable.
• But he says they just take it calmly because “they are just jobs like any other.”

Important Point: Unai loves his parents but wants everyone to know they are normal people with normal jobs, not something to gossip about.

About the Author

This story was written by Emily Burack (she/her). She is the Deputy Digital Editor for a magazine called Town & Country, where she writes about entertainment, celebrities, royalty, and more. Before that, she was the deputy managing editor at a Jewish culture site called Hey Alma. You can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms with the handle @emburack.

Summary

Unai Simón is a talented 29-year-old goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao and Spain’s World Cup squad. He is shy with strangers but lively with friends from his hometown. He gave up social media to protect his feelings from online comments. His parents are police officers, but they raised him with good values rather than pushing their career path. He values privacy and is proud of his family. Even though he’s a star, he’s just a humble guy who prefers to stay on the sidelines.

FAQ

1. Who is Unai Simón?
He is a 29-year-old Spanish soccer goalkeeper who plays for Athletic Bilbao and Spain’s national team in the World Cup.

2. Why doesn’t Unai Simón have social media?
He used to have it, but reading what people said about him made him feel too good or too bad about himself. He quit on purpose to stay mentally healthy.

3. What do Unai’s parents do?
His dad is in Spain’s Civil Guard (national police) and his mom is in the Basque Police (local police). He says they are just normal jobs.

4. Is Unai Simón shy?
He says he is shy around people he doesn’t know, but he is outgoing with close friends and people from his hometown of Murguía.

5. Where is Unai from?
He is from a town called Murguía in Spain, and he feels most comfortable there with the people he knows.